Overview

This collection gathers six volumes on topics relating to Eastern Christianity. It provides thoughtful scholarly texts useful to those interested in early church history, Eastern Orthodox thinkers, theology, and traditions. Included in this collection are Vladimir Kharlamov’s explorations of theosis in the theology of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and Christopher C. H. Cook’s insights on the mental inner world using a modern psychological perspective to analyze the Philokalia. You will also find a translation and analysis of the letters between Severus of Antioch and Sergius the Monophysite, a volume on the Syriac-Speaking church, and much more.

In the Logos editions, these valuable volumes are enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

The Beauty of the Unity and the Harmony of the Whole: The Concept of Theosis in the Theology of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite

In this volume, Vladimir Kharlamov traces the emergence and development of the deification theme in Greek patristic theology and its subsequent transformation into the theology of theosis in Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. Significant attention is given to the influence of Neoplatonism on Pseudo-Dionysius. Dionysius’ sophisticated synthesis of Christian and Neoplatonic elements, especially in his exposition of theosis, does justice to this anonymous author’s originality and demonstrates the importance of his influence both on the further development of Christian theology, and on the advancement of the Neoplatonic tradition. The intricate cultural background of the Pseudo-Dionysian world helps clarify the formation process of Christian imperial identity, and throws additional light on why these works were attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite, not as a conscious forgery, but as a literary device. Comprehensive analysis of the development of the deification theme opens possibilities for further study of Trinitarian and christological formations, of philosophical and individual moral theology, of Christian and Neoplatonic mysticism, and of cultural studies.

Symbol and Icon: Dionysius the Areopagite and the Iconoclastic Crisis

This book contributes to the study of the notions of symbol and icon by examining two phenomena that greatly contributed to their development: the thought of Dionysius the Areopagite and the iconoclastic controversy. Ivanovic discusses the main points of Dionysius doctrine, the features of the iconoclastic controversy, and an elaboration of the Areopagite’s aesthetic and symbolic theory with special reference to the theology of icon. Throughout the work Ivanovic seeks to offer broad insight relevant to many different disciplines, such as theology, philosophy, history, and art. Dionysian theory of symbols and apophatic theology, his concepts of light, icon, and visible things as “images of the invisible things” were the basis of the further development of the Orthodox theology of the icon, which constitutes one of the fundamental values of Christian theology. The analysis offered in this book incites further study of the doctrinal dimension of Christian iconology, as well as of Christian and Neoplatonic mysticism, Byzantine aesthetics, and of theological and cultural studies.

Filip Ivanovic’s work represents a profoundly innovative contribution to the immense historiographical debate on Iconoclastic Crisis. He proposes that the construction of the Orthodox Icon doctrine is rooted in Pseudo-Dionysius's theological concepts and philosophical aesthetics, which gave a kind of Neo-Platonic support to Orthodox theologians’ argumentations, helping them to overcome the spirit/phenomena dualism by claiming the positivity of the material world, a key point of biblical and Christian cosmology and anthropology.

—Enrico Morini, Università di Bologna

With his lucid and well-documented book, Filip Ivanovic, offers us an inspiring scholarly and personal reflection on one of the major authors of ancient Christianity and on the influence of his apprehension of images over one of the most dramatic crises in the history of the Orthodox Church.

—Dino Buzzetti, Università di Bologna

Filip Ivanovic holds Bachelor and Masters degrees in philosophy from the University of Bologna. He is currently a research fellow in the department of philosophy and religious studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

The Philokalia and the Inner Life: On Passions and Prayer

The Philokalia, a collection of spiritual texts by fathers of the Eastern Church spanning the fourth to the fifteenth centuries, was first published in Venice in 1782. Significant in bringing about a renaissance of Orthodox spirituality since then, it shows deep psychological as well as spiritual awareness. The Philokalia and the Inner Life critically examines the nature of mental and spiritual well-being as understood in the Philokalia. This book is for all who are interested in spirituality, theology and the life of prayer, as well as students of the Philokalia. It is also for clinicians, counselors and psychotherapists, especially those who wish to explore the relationship between psychological and spiritual well-being.

Hitherto there has been little attempt to relate the understanding of the inner life found in the Philokalia to the revolution in Western understanding of the psyche found in modern psychology. In this book, Chris Cook demonstrates the potentialities opened up by such an engagement.

An exceptional book, making accessible to the wider public the treasures of a spiritual classic. The author’s innovative approach makes these ancient teachings of relevance to our predicament today.

—Renos K. Papadopoulos, professor of analytical psychology, University of Essex

Professor Cook’s study of the Philokalia from a psychological viewpoint offers a fresh and original approach. For those who already know the Philokalia it will open their eyes to unexpected dimensions of the work, while to those unfamiliar with the Philokalia it will serve as a valuable and much-needed introduction.

—Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia

Christopher C. H. Cook has a rich background in psychology and theology, and has done much study of the overlap of these two areas. Specializing in psychiatry as a postgraduate at the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guys and St. Thomas’ in London, he then taught psychiatry at the University of Kent. Holding and MA and PhD in applied theology, he is also an ordained Anglican priest, and teaches in the department of theology and religion at the University of Durham.

Christology After Chalcedon: Severus of Antioch and Sergius the Monophysite

Author: Iain R. Torrance

Publisher: Wipf & Stock

Publication Date: 1998

Pages: 268

In Christology after Chalcedon, Iain Torrance provides a theological introduction and a translation of the letters between Severus of Antioch and Sergius the Grammarian. Severus was the Monophysite Patriarch of Antioch—a leader of the moderate Monophysites whose doctrine adhered more closely to Catholic teaching and whose primary divergence from orthodoxy was terminological. Though little is known of Sergius, it is apparent from his letters that he was a Monophysite of the more extreme sort. The correspondence between Sergius and Severus comprises three letters from Sergius, three replies by Severus, and an apology by Sergius, all included in this text.

Iain R. Torrance (PhD, Oriel College, Oxford) is president of Princeton Theological Seminary and the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He is the author of Ethics and the Military Community, coeditor of Human Genetics: A Christian Perspective and To Glorify God: Essays on Modern Reformed Liturgy, and editor of Bioethics for the New Millennium. He has contributed numerous articles and book reviews to theological journals and serves as the editor of the Scottish Journal of Theology.

Early Eastern Christianity: St. Margaret's Lectures, 1904, on the Syriac-Speaking Church

In this volume, originally published in 1904, British scholar Francis Burkitt gives an insightful examination of Syriac Christianity. This text, divided into six “lectures,” is “an attempt to sketch the leading characteristics of the ancient Church of Edessa and the Euphrates Valley from the earliest times to the Council of Chalcedon.” Burkitt’s thorough study offers a unique window through which to view Christianity in Edessa and learn about early Syriac theology.

F. Crawford Burkitt (1864–1935) was Norrisian Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge from 1905–35. His other publications include Evangelion da-Mepharreshe, The Gospel History and Its Transmission, and Earliest Sources for the Life of Jesus.

The Course of Russian History

Authors: Melvin C. Wren and Taylor Stults

Edition: 5th

Publisher: Wipf & Stock

Publication Date: 2009

Pages: 636

Now in its fifth edition, this definitive history of the Russian land and people is a fascinating survey of two thousand years of struggle to harness vast resources and talents into a powerful and cohesive nation. Russia underwent a complex evolution of political, social, and religious forces—the barbarism of its internal conflicts in seeming contradiction with its goals to advance in the realms of technology, art, education, and high culture. From the conflicts of the fantastically wealthy ruling class to the poor and oppressed masses emerged the Communist party and numerous enigmatic figures whose charismatic manipulation of political power reflected the myriad rulers before them. Finally, as the modern world watched, this great entity collapsed in a devastatingly brief time, millennia of precarious conflict proving too much for the tenuous coalescence of twentieth-century politics. Written in an engaging and accessible style, this text presents students with a comprehensive look at the momentous events and legendary figures which helped shape Russia’s turbulent history.

I first used Wren & Stults as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina in 1958. Today, after teaching Russian history for more than two decades, I find it still the most balanced, readable, and complete history text of Russia.

—Robert Brand, Bucknell University

An excellent text, well written for introductory students, with a flowing narrative that makes Russian history easily accessible. Traces themes of development, motivation, and national structure which help the student understand and predict the possible course of Russia in the future.

—Karen Border, Berkshire Community College

Melvin C. Wren taught at Montana State University in the department of history and political science.

Taylor Stults is professor emeritus in the history department at Muskingum University in Ohio. He earned his PhD from the University of Missiouri and taught courses in Russian history, 19th and 20th century European and Canadian history.